Arizona Diamondbacks News
[D’backs.com] 10 days to go: D-backs face roster crunch - We’re going to discuss the remaining roster spots 17,000 times over the next 7 days. Because Spring Training. Alex Avila and John Ryan Murphy might need to wield churro dogs in a duel to determine who gets to stay on the team. Hopefully.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks announce 3 new food items in partnership with SI - Since we’re already on the topic, it’s that time of year again where the D’backs drop their diabolical culinary creations on us. Incoming hot take. I’m really getting tired of these gimmick hot dogs. The concessions offerings at Chase Field are less than stellar as it is. Anyone who has gone to a game at Petco Park might agree with me. Almost every single concession stand there is a different local vendor, and the food is amazing as a result. Chase Field just alternates between Red Hots and Big Dawgs, if I remember correctly, every stand and hot dogs that were made who knows how long ago. As long as Portillo’s is still there, I’m good to go. /rant
[The Athletic] Diamondbacks catchers need to hit more in 2019, and here’s how they’re working on it - I’m rethinking my title selection this morning as we bounce back and forth between the D’backs catchers and new food selections. We’ve got to wonder how much split playing time behind the dish between 3 different players hampers their focus with the bat. Arizona could certainly use better offense from its catchers this season regardless of how many they decide to carry.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks give Zack Greinke special treatment at the plate - I much rather prefer watching Zack Greinke steal a base occasionally.
“You know how I feel about giving away outs,” Lovullo said. “I definitely don’t like it. I feel very strongly that (Greinke) has earned the right to be able to swing the bat in that situation, especially right now where we’re trying to get our guys’ timing (down). They’ve got two starts to get their offensive (approach) down pat and I know that was important for him to get two at-bats.”
Around the League
[MLB Trade Rumors] Yankees To Sign Gio Gonzalez - When I see the deal that the New York Yankees are rumored to have signed Gio Gonzalez to, I can’t help but think that Mike Hazen could have given him a tryout this Spring. He’d be a decent backup in anticipation of injury or ineffectiveness from the starting rotation to begin the season. Gonzalez hasn’t been consistently phenomenal, but he still put up 171 innings of league average performance last season. It’s a good acquisition by the Evil Empire.
[ESPN] MLB eyes higher salaries in minors - Have the Toronto Blue Jays kicked off a trend? They’ve broken stride with the rest of the league an decided to increase the wages of their minor league players.
“We have received many questions regarding the decision of the Toronto Blue Jays to increase the salaries of minor league players,” MLB said in a statement to ESPN. “While each Club makes its own decisions regarding minor league salaries, the Office of the Commissioner is presently in negotiations with the National Association of Professional Baseball on the terms of a new agreement between the Major Leagues and the Minor Leagues to replace the agreement that expires in September 2020. The working conditions of minor league players, including their compensation, facilities and benefits, is an important area of discussion in those negotiations.”
[Fangraphs] 2019 Positional Power Rankings: First Base - Don’t take a peak at who is #2 on this list, and remind yourself that everything is going to be okay.